Adjusting mechanism for furniture



I. FREEMAN. ADJUSTING MECHANISM FOR FURNITURE. APPLICATION FILED AUG.I9,19I9.

1,334,365. Patented Ma1n1920.

IN VENTOR. 60 5236/975 A TTORNE Y.

UNITED STATES PATENT onrrou.

JOHN FREEMAN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

ADJUSTING MECHANISM FOR FURNITURE.

Original application filed May 14, 1919,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J OHN FREEMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at 2 East 181st street, New York city, in the county of Bronx, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Adjusting Mechanism for Furniture; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The present invention relates to adjusting mechanism for furniture and particularly to mechanism for raising, and lowering the head pieces or arms of couches or the lilre to adjusted'-position. It is a division of my eopending application, Serial. No. 297,056, filed May 14-, 1919. Heretoliore, pawls and ratchets have been used for this purpose, but these have usually been heavy and cumbersome, or else composed of a con'iparatively large number of? parts, to securely hold. the head pieces or arms in any adjusted position and at the same time to prevent them from falling too tar one way or the other out of engagen'icnt.

In accordance with my invention, adjusting mechanism for each headpiece or arm comprises a pawl pivotally connected to the headpiece or arm and adapted to engage with any one of several. teeth of a ratchet carried by the frame. A member, such as a yoke, pivoted to the ratchet and extending; over the pawl, not only prevents the pawl from going; beyond the last teeth of: the ratchet in the lowermost adjusted position of the headpiece or arm, but also precludes sidewise niovemeitit so that the pawl and ratchet may be made of comparatively thin. metal without the possibility of becoming disengaged laterally.

llln. the accompanying drawings illustrating," the preferred form of construction in which, as an example, raising and lowering heads are combined with a reversible body in a couch bed without a back,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the unupholstered piece of furniture; Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail of the pawl. and ratchet mechanism thereof; and Fig. 3 is a front view thereof.

Although the couch bed may have a base oi? any suitable form with or without a separate body portion, I show herein a couch Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 23, 1920.

Serial No. 297,056. Divided and this application filed August 19,

Serial No. 318,4283.

bed having a wooden base 1 in the form of an open rectangular frame, and a Wooden body portion 9. adapted to be seated thereon with either side uppermost to form a re vcrsible day and night bed.

The couch bed has two wooden arms 3, each consisting of the curved members 4, and the cross members 5, pivotally connected to the base by the hinges 6, the stringers ot the base being provided with notches at 7 to acconnnodatc the arms in various positions. The adjusting mechanism. for each arm coin prises a ratchet 8 f2 stoned to the base and a pawl 9 pivot-ally connected to one of the cross members 5, a wire or chain 10 extending to a handle 11 outside the upholstery oi? the arm so as to be within easy grasp of the operator. The yoke 12 is pivotally connected to the ratchet plate and closely embraces the pawl 9. It so pivoted with relation to the position of the pivot of the pawl that it forces the pawl into the uppermost tooth ol? the ratchet plate when the arm reaches its lowermost position of adjustment. The pin 13 on the ratchet plate prcrents the pawl from falling too low when the arm is fully raised. As a result of the "fa ct that the yoke closely embraces the pawl, substantial lateral movement thereof is prevented, so that both the pawl and ratchet may be made olf comparatively thin metal. without likelihood of lateral disengagement.

Either arm may be raised or lowered at will after disengaging its pawl from the ratchet.

It will be understood, 0.1": course, that the headpieces or arms, as well as the base and body portion of the couch, are suitably upholstcreitl and have cushion-springs, as desired.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

I. In adjusting mechanism for furniture having a base, an arm pivotally connected thereto, and mechanisn'i supporting the arm in adjusted position, comprising a ratchet carried by the base, a pawl pivoted on the arm and a member pivoted on the ratchet and extending over the pawl to preclude substantial lateral movement of the pawl.

2. In. adjusting mechanism for furniture having a base, an arm pivotally connected thereto, and mechanism supporting the arm in adjusted position, comprising a ratchet carried by the base, a pawl. pivoted on the arm and a member pivoted on the ratchet and coacting with the pawl in such manner as to force it into engagement with the ratchet at a predetermined low position of the arm.

3. In adjusting mechanism for furniture having a base, an arm pivotally connected thereto, and mechanism supporting the arm in adjusted position, comprising a ratchet fastened to the base, a pawl pivoted on the arm, a yoke pivoted on the ratchet and embracing the pawl to preclude substantial lateral movement of the arm and a connection extending from the pawl to a place outside the arm for operating the pawl to permit the arm to be raised or lowered at will.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

JOHN FREEMAN. 

